Shower head



Dec. 23, 1,969 w. c. GORE ET AL 3,485,451

SHOWER HEAD l I Filed Nov. 15, 1967 2 sheets-sheet 1 De@ 23, 1969 w. c. GoRE ETI/L 3,485,4511,

( SHOWER HEA'D Filed NOV- l5 1967 @sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent Ov U.S. Cl. 239-383 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shower head which has an impeller with blades wherein some of the water will impinge against the blades to rotate the impeller and whereby Water is discharged in a linear spray and some of the water will pass axially through the rotating impeller and be discharged in a rotating spiral spray within the linear spray.

This invention relates to an improved shower head.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a shower head wherein the water passing through the shower head is caused to be discharged centrally in the form of a spiral or screw shaped spray and also wherein certain of the Water is simultaneously discharged in a linear spray surrounding the screw spray.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shower head wherein the water is discharged simultaneously in two dilerent patterns, namely, an outer spray stream is discharged in a pulsating linear direction and of a conical hollow shape, and the inner stream is discharged in a rotating corkscrew stream.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shower head having rotor means which are actuated by the force of the water passing through the shower head and wherein two different spray patterns are produced, the outer spray being of a linear pattern and the inner spray being of a screw-shaped pattern discharged from an eccentrically positioned rotating outlet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a very inexpensive shower head having the aforesaid characteristics.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. l is a central sectional view of the shower head forming this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectionalA view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view partly in section of the components forming the shower head.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shell inverted.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but of a modified construction, and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring rst to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 through 7 inclusive, the shower head includes a housing,

Patented Dec. 23, 1969 generally indicated at I0, of generally cylindrical design. The inside body of the housing is provided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending ribs 12 between which are the spaced arcuate-shaped inner wall surfaces 14 forming the channels for passage of the water, as will 'be subsequently described.

A horizontal bottom wall 18 extends across the inside of the housing body and said bottom Wall is positioned upwardly of the bottom of the housing.. The bottom wall 18 has an enlarged central opening 20. The lower portion of the housing below the bottom wall 1.8 is the truncated cone-shaped section generally indicated at 21 which forms the outlet end for the water which impinges against the impeller blades. The truncated cone-shaped section 21 has an inside wall which inclines or slopes outwardly and is provided with vertically extending spaced channels 22 for the purpose of directing the spray in a linear and outwardly diverging direction, as will be subsequently described.

The interior of the housing 10 adjacent the top has an enlarged annular recessed portion 24 which provides an annular shoulder 26. The exterior of the housing 10 adjacent the top is externally threaded as at 28. An impeller generally designated by the numeral 30 is supported inside the body of the housing. The impeller 30 has a central tubular member 32 with radially extending blades or vanes 34 extending therefrom. The top of the blades or vanes 34 are coextensive with the top of the tubular member 32 but the bottom of said blades terminate short of the bottom of said tubular member. Thus, there is provided a space around the tubular member below the blades.

The central tubular member 32, as can best be seen in FIG. 3, has an enlarged outside surface 36 of greater O.D. than the remainder, thus providing an annular shoulder 38. The top of the tubular member 32 is open as at 39 Whereas the bottom of said tubular member has a bottom horizontal Wall 40 which is provided with an offset or eccentrically positioned opening 42. The bottom 40 of the central tubular member 32 is on the same plane as the bottom of the housing 10 and the shoulder 38 is Wholly confined within the truncated cone-shaped section 21 of the housing. As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bottom of the vanes or blades 34 will rest on the bottom wall 18 of the housing 10 and the bottom of the tubular member 32 will extend through the opening 20 in the bottom wall 18. The impeller vanes 34 are adapted to rotate Within a cylindrically-shaped shell member generally indicated at 44.

The shell member 44 has a top wall 45 provided with a central opening 46. The exterior wall of the shell is provided with a spaced vertically extending flat sides 48 which engage the inwardly extending ribs 12 of the housing 10 to prevent the shell from rotating after same is positioned within the housing. The engagement of the flat sides of the shell with the inwardly extending ribs is best shown in FIG. 4. Spaces are provided between the exterior walls of the shell 44 and the interior walls 14 of the housing 10, which spaces form channels 50 for passage of the water. The bottom of the cylindrical shell 44 is provided with spaced slots 52. The bottom of the cylindrical shell 44 rests on the bottom wall 18 of the housing and the slots 52 serve as communicating passageways for the ow of water that passes from the channels 50.

A rubber washer S4 having an enlarged central conically-shaped opening 56 rests on the shoulder 26 of the housing, as best shown in FIG. l. The swivel ball joint 58 of a coupling arm 60 engages the Washer 54, and a cap member 62 which is internally threaded as at 63 is in threaded engagement with the threads 28 on the housing 10, with a portion of the swivel ball joint 58 passing through an opening 64 in the cap member 62. The coupling arm 60 has an internally threaded sleeve portion 66 which is adapted to be secured in threaded engagement with a conventional pipe or conduit 68 connected to a source of water supply. The swivel ball joint 58 has an internal bore or passageway 70.

The operation of the shower head brieliy described is as follows. As the water flows from the source of water supply through the conduit 68, it will pass through the bore 70 of the swivel joint 58. Some of the water, as indicated by the letter A, will pass through the central top opening 46 in the shell `44 and into the tubular member 32 of the impeller 30 and pass therethrough through the offset or eccentrically positioned -bottom opening 42 in the impeller as the impeller is rotating by virtue of some of the other water engaging the blades, as will be presently described. Due to the continuous rotation of the impeller the eccentrically positioned opening 42 is also constantly rotating and its position is constantly changing. This will cause the Water that leaves the shower head through the opening 42 to form a corkscrew or spiralshaped spray, as indicated by the letter S. Some of the water passing through the bore 70` will follow the path indicated by the letter B. The water will flow across the top 4S of the shell 44 and downwardly through the spaces or channels 50 between the ribs 12 and will enter the bottom slots 52 of the shell to iiow inwardly and be directed against the vanes or blades 34 of the impeller 30, as shown by the arrows. This will cause the impeller 30 to rotate within the shell `44 and housing 10. The water which follows path -B will after striking against the im peller blades 34 pass downwardly between the blades and through the opening 20 in the bottom of the housing and will strike the annular shoulder 38 and will be defiected upwardly, as indicated by the arrows, so that the water then impinges against the truncated cone-shaped bottom section 21 of the housing and the space channels 22, which will then cause the said water to be discharged in a pulsating linear direction, indicated by the letter L and shown by the dotted lines. The linear spray of water L diverges angularly outwardly and is generally cone-shaped with a hollow center, whereas the water passing through the interior of the impeller comes out as a spiral spray. The spiral spray S is within the linear spray L. Thus, there is provided a shower head which simultaneously produces a continuous diverging linear outer spray and a screw or spiral inner spray.

Referring to the modified construction shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, only that portion which is different from that previously described will be described in detail and the remaining parts will be identified by the numerals previously glven.

In the modified construction, the housing 72 is adapted to be molded of a plastic material whereas the previous housing 10 is intended to be made principally of metal. The housing 72 is so constructed that it may be injection molded and is integrally formed. The interior of housing 72 is provided with spaced inwardly extending ribs 74, similar to the ribs 12 previously described. The lower portion of housing 72 is shaped to provide a centrally truncated cone-shaped section 76, the top 78 of which is provided with an enlarged opening 79. The truncated coneshaped section 76 which forms the outlet end for the water which impinges against the blades of the impeller has channels 80, similar to the channels 22. The top 78 of the truncated cone-shaped section 76 of the housing forms a platform or base on which rests a metal disk 82. The metal disk 82 has spaced cutouts or slots 84 which engage the ribs 74 of the housing 72 to prevent rotation of the metal disk. The metal disk 82 is provided with an enlarged central opening 86 coextensive with the inside diameter of the opening 79 in the housing. The outlet end or the interior -wall of the truncated shaped section 76 of the housing is provided with an inclined and outwardly 4, diverging wall provided with the vertically spaced channels 80, similar to the lower portion of housing 10 previously described. The bottom of the housing 72 is provided with an annular enlarged recessed portion identified by the numeral 88. The impeller 30 is identical to that previously described, and the shell 44 which encases the impeller blades is as previously described and is held against rotation in the same manner as previously described.

The operation of the modified construction shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is identical to that previouslydescribed in connection with FIGS. 1 to 7 inclusive, except that in the modified construction the blades of the impeller 30 will rest on the metal disk 82 and rotate and be supported thereon instead of on the bottom Wall of the housing. The water will pass through the modified construction in substantially the same manner as previously described and will simultaneously produce the two types of sprays as previously described.

We claim:

1. A shower head comprising a housing, the lower portion of said housing having a horizontal portion, an impeller rotatably positioned within said housing, said impeller having blades adapted to be impinged by the water entering the housing to rotate said impeller, the bottom of the blades of said impeller adapted to rest on the horizontal portion of the housing, said housing having an outlet wherein the water rotating the impeller is discharged in a linear direction.

2. A shower head comprising a housing, an impeller rotatably positioned within said housing, said impeller having blades adapted to 4be impinged by the water entering the housing to rotate said impeller, said housing having a generally truncated cone-shaped lower outlet section through which sorne of the water entering the housing is discharged in a linear direction, said impeller having a central tubular member through which some of the water entering the housing passes, the water which passes through the central tubular housing being discharged in the form of a spiral stream with the water discharged in a linear direction surrounding the spiral stream.

3. A shower head defined in claim 2 in which the impeller has an oulet opening in which some of the water passes through said outlet opening in the form of a screw spray.

4. A shower head detined in claim 2 in which the outlet opening of the impeller is eccentrically positioned.

5. A structure defined in claim 2 in which some of the water entering the housing will engage the blades to rotate the impeller and other of said water will pass through the center of the impeller, with the water engaging the blades passing out in the form of a linear spray and the water passing through the center of the impeller passing out in the form of a spiral, the spiralling spray being within the linear spray.

6. A shower head de'ned in claim 2 in which the outlet opening of the impeller is eccentrically positioned.

7. A structure defined in claim 2 in which the impeller is positioned within a shell-like member within said housing, said shell-like member having inlet openings through which the water passes to engage the blades of the irnpeller for rotating same.

8. A structure dened in claim 2 in which the central tubular member has means for deecting the water outwardly against the lower outlet portion of the housing 9. A st-ructure deiined in claim 2 in which the wall of the truncated cone-shaped lower section has vertically so that a linear spray is produced. extending channels. 

